My bro owns a 93 integra gsr and needs his catylatic converter replaced. Just called up a few shops, I got quoted 180 for a cat co installed and other shop wanted 220 installed for the same catco converter. the guy mentioned that a law changed and that they have to use different cats on the veiichle which is why the brice has gone up on the catilac converters. So what is the deal with these " different catylatic converters". Are they using the obd2 catylatic converters on obd1 cars now?? or what is the deal. Are these catco catylatic converters any good?? I just want to get something that will pass smog. Honda ddealer wants 500-600 bucks for a catco Input would be great.

 

It's probably because they used to get stolen all the time because they have platinum in them. Why not just buy an aftermarket high flow cat? You should still be able to pass smog

 

The reason cats have gone up in price is because at the begining of the year California changed the smog laws around, and now you need an cat with an approved EO# on it to be legel. It is pretty much an obd2 cat. As far as catco goes, they are pretty crap imo. I would find a shop that installs carsound aka magnaflow cats. This is what I install at the muffler shop I work at. What part of riverside are you in? Mabee I could recomend a shop that you are close by to...

 

Really? If that's the case that sucks. I bought an SMSP cat at the end of last year and was planning on using it for my build.

So do places just have to sell new ones that way? Cause a smog tech can't prove when a cat was installed, so if you have one w/o the EO# it could have been installed previously. And that wouldn't be illegal...

 

I live in Sun City Ca. 92585 zip and willing to drive pretty much anywhere local if the price is resonable. So what it really is, Im supposed to buy a obd2 cat and car sounds aka magnaflow's a good brand to go with? Because I can also try to find one for cheap online and get a shop to weld it... If you can reccomend me to a shop that would be great.

 

Here would be the best thing to do. This would be the cheepest, find a 49 state legel cat online and find a shop that will install it. The problem is that it is illegel for a shop to install those cats now. So you wont get a invoice for the work. This might take a long time to find. Colin, this is what you would need to do with the cat that you bought for your build. Now for SiR, your best bet would be to first find a shop that will install a cat first befor you buy it so you dont wast your money , if you find out no one will do it for you. Your best bet would be to drive into Hemet and find a shop around there. You could try Quail Valley, I know there is a muffler shop there next to a smog place, so you could also try that.

 

Actually the cats are simply brand new now. Previously most cats were from very low mileage vehicles and were reconditioned and resold. It is now illegal to sell reconditioned cats.

 

Most cats are new.Very few shops sell used cats. There were shops that mabee sold a lot of them used, but that was only for cats that werent available aftermarket. Some depends on the area also. Places that dont have any accounts with distributors might sell nothing but used cats, but the simple fact is they were always new, I would say over 90% of the time. But you are right about it being illegel to install a used cat in california...

 

Wrong. unless you're buying from Catco or Magnaflow or one of the few cat manufacturers out there then you're most likely buying a refurbished cat. There is a company called Brown Mnfg. That is the largest supplier of used cats in the country. They sell to many small businesses who in turn label the cats as their own and the sell them their selves.

http://www.brownrecycling.com/recovery/index.html